Jensen Ackles' new Prime Video action series is on course for No. 1 but critics are calling it ‘predictable,' ‘cliche' and downright ‘bad'

Tom's Guide

a day ago

'Countdown' is a new Prime Video original action series featuring 'Supernatural' and 'The Boys' alumnus Jensen Ackles as an LAPD detective who joins a secret task force to investigate a murder and soon stumbles upon a larger conspiracy that threatens all of Los Angeles.
Sounds good, right?
Well, a lot of Prime Video subscribers seem to have been sold by the elevator pitch, because just over a week after its three-episode premiere on the Amazon-owned streaming service, it's proved quite a ratings hit.
'Countdown' has already surged into the Prime Video top 10 most-watched list, and now has the No. 1 spot in its crosshairs. At the time of writing, it ranks in second place, only behind the glossy adaptation of E. Lockhart's best-selling thriller novel, 'We Were Liars.'
With Ackles's dedicated fans giving it a big push, and the hooky premise (who doesn't love a good action-drama series?), I won't be shocked if it shortly rises to the summit of the Prime Video top 10.
There's just one problem, according to the critics, not to mention Tom's Guide's own Martin Shore, 'Countdown' is anything but must-binge TV. It might even be downright bad...
If you're an Ackles fan who has already started 'Countdown' and thinks I'm being a little harsh in my assessment, I submit the show's Rotten Tomatoes score as evidence for my case. Right now, the Prime Video original holds a poor 31% rating from 13 reviews.
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Granted, that's not a huge sample size, but it does give us an indication that this show has some pretty glaring faults. 'Unfortunately, though the show has all of the fundamentals needed for an engaging action series, 'Countdown' grows duller by the episode,' said Aramide Tinubu of Variety.
The Prime Video original holds a poor 31% rating from 13 reviews.
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg wasn't much kinder, accusing the show of lacking 'urgency or logic' and even labeling the finale (which doesn't hit Prime Video until September 3) 'head-scratchingly bad.' So if you're hoping it gets better after a weaker start, don't bet on it.
It's bad at being suspenseful, it's bad at providing emotional investment and it's bad at being memorable. It feels cynical and uninterested in itself. It provides the bare minimum of every element... then loudly insists it's providing a service,' said TheWrap's Gregory Lawrence. Ouch!
Another harsh critic was Nick Schager of The Daily Beast, who wrote, '['Countdown' is] Clunky, simplistic, unbelievable, and inert, it's a show that manages the impressive feat of being generic in absolutely every respect.' Which isn't exactly a glowing recommendation.
As noted, TG staff writer Martin Shore was no fan of Ackles' latest TV project either. ''Countdown' is so generic that I quickly found it was washing over me,' said Martin, also pointing out the show is full of 'one-note characters" and 'a lot of time is spent watching middling chatter, or cliche storybeats, or exposition dumps.' So, a critical darling, "Countdown" is not.
Of course, it's not especially uncommon for critics and viewers to disagree on a show, and 'Countdown's' saving grace may be its audience score, which sits at 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. Recent RT user reviews call it 'action-packed,' 'fast paced,' and 'worth a watch.'
Although the cynic in me does feel it's worth pointing out that many of the latest audience reviews aren't shy about proclaiming their love for Jensen Ackles, so I have to question how many of these positive write-ups might be a little colored by the viewer's own fandom. I know I'm always just a little bit kinder to Ryan Gosling movies as a huge fan of the Canadian actor.
I suspect you'll still want to give 'Countdown' a chance if you simply can't skip anything involving Ackles, but if you're looking for something with a more unanimously positive reception, here's a guide to everything new being added to Prime Video in July 2025.
You can watch "Countdown" on Prime Video now